In this article and podcast, we're going to show you our list of the 25 best marketing ideas that can help to give your marketing plan a major boost. These include creating relevant content for your website, marketing through contests, investing in email marketing, and more. These marketing ideas are a great option for anyone looking to build a marketing plan for the first time, or for anyone looking to improve an existing marketing plan. Profitworks Inc. is an expert in the field of Search Engine Optimization and Email Marketing, which is one of the highest average ROI marketing mediums available to businesses. If you're looking to make a marketing plan for the first time, check out our FREE template. Click here to check it out now!

Sales & Marketing ROI Podcast: Episode #34

25 Best Marketing Ideas For Your Marketing Plan. Click the link below to listen to the podcast.

1. Create Unique Relevant Content On Your Website That Can't Be Found Anywhere Else On The Internet

According to Writtent.com's article, "60+ Creative Marketing Ideas for Small Business", creating relevant and creative content on your website can help to drive traffic, create leads and ultimately end up producing more sales for your business. Suggestions for how to do this include creating a blog or on-site article directory on your website.

Why It Is A Great Idea: Once you add content to your website it can reside there forever and work for your business to bring in new customers every day. 90-95% of purchases start with a search engine search. Creating relevant content on your website helps to draw people to your business through your website. More website traffic = more sales!

2. Consider Marketing Through Contests

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A lot of people look to social media as a viable marketing form, but it can become even more useful if you use these outlets to run contests. Some of the more popular and successful ideas include using Instagram to organize a photo contest, or using Facebook to offer a prize if people like/share your business page or post. This type of marketing is effective because it is enticing to the user and can reach a wide audience without much effort from your marketing staff. You can learn more about this marketing idea and others in WordStream's article, "64 Creative Marketing Ideas to Boost Your Business".

Why It Is A Great Idea: When a contest goes viral you can expect to see a huge increase in email subscribers, or followers/likes if you do the promotion through social media. Check out this case study from femtrepreneur.co about how they were able to gain 1500 new subscribers and generate $5000 in revenue in only 10 days using this technique.

3. Invest in Email Marketing

Email marketing is one of the most effective and cost-efficient methods of marketing out there. According to Jimsmarketingblog.com, one of the biggest benefits of email marketing is that you build your own network so you control your audience. Email marketing is also one of the best marketing methods for producing a high ROI. If you're interested in investing in email marketing, click here to contact us today to learn more.

Why It Is A Great Idea: We have experienced through our clients that email returns on average $6.75 in profit for every $1.00 spent.

4. Network with other companies

Smalltownmarketing.com suggests that one of the best ways you can market your business is to network with other businesses that may share some similarities to your business but are not in direct competition with you. For example, if you run a mechanic shop you may want to consider collaborating with any local automotive part dealerships. Being referenced by other experts in your field can go a long way in terms of sales.

Why It Is A Great Idea: Creating relationships with other companies is one of the best ways to earn referrals.

5. Develop personal connections with your products

If you're able to personalize your products you should definitely consider it. This marketing method has proven to be incredibly effective (remember Coca-Cola's "Share a Coke" campaign?) so it may be worth investing some time into. According to Inc.com's "8 Outside the Box Marketing Ideas Your Business Should Try in 2015," while it may seem trite, it definitely works.

Why It Is A Great Idea: When products have a personal connection it's been shown that sales increase. People buy products when they know they relate to them.

6. Give Something Away For Free

Who doesn't like free products or services? Everyone loves to receive something for free, especially those who may be considering using your business. Many businesses offer a service for free for first-time customers, such as a free installation or free delivery. Others prefer giving out free samples of their product, which works great for anyone in the culinary industry. Printwand.com claims that this works well for building clientele because it helps people experience what your company has to offer. If you can, offer a service or product that will not cost you any extra money such as a free template or free downloadable software. As an example, here at Profitworks, we offer a free website review for anyone who fills out this form.

Why It Is A Great Idea: Free products are always a great way to draw in new clientele or express gratitude for those purchasing from your business.

7. Post Videos Online

According to Forbes.com, society has officially entered the era of "binge-watching," so it's important to make sure that your business doesn't miss out on this opportunity to grab people's attention. Cisco predicts that by the end of 2016, approximately 69% of digital traffic will be people binge watching videos, making it important that your videos are among them. You can do anything from longer blog-style videos to more simple how-to videos, or promotional videos discussing your services and products. An interesting stat from the article "Why Video Marketing is So Powerful" is that while people remember 20% of what they hear and 30% of what they see, they'll remember 70% of what they both see and hear at the same time.

Why It Is A Great Idea: Videos are captivating, easy to share, and according to shopify.ca, Google has a preference for pages that include videos.

8. Participate In Trade Shows

An oldie but definitely still a goodie. Trade shows can help you to interact with people within your field and help you to network your business with others. It's a great place to generate some leads if you're simply displaying your business, or to sell some product if you're able to take some with you. Article.bplans.com suggests that two great ways to get the most out of your trade shows are to offer a gimmick that will draw others to your booth and offer free product samples or discount codes for every lead you receive.

Why It Is A Great Idea: They're an excellent way to meet people in your industry and make network connections.

9. Implement A Loyalty Program

Everyone loves a good loyalty program, and so do businesses because they can help increase sales dramatically if implemented correctly. It's a win-win situation for both the customer and the company. Not only do they receive benefits for their loyalty to your company, but you receive their sales as they continually return to the store to purchase your products or services. Ecommerce-platforms.com says that these types of programs work really well because it makes the customer feel appreciated for spending money on your company. This can then trickle down into better reviews and increased customer satisfaction. In fact, 76% of North Americans suggested they were more likely to shop at a retailer that offers a loyalty program.

10. Host Events or Classes

This is a little outside of the box of what most traditional businesses do, but it can be a really effective way to let people know about your business and bring in some extra revenue if you want to charge for the event. Wordstream.com's blog, "22 Marketing Ideas For Small Businesses With Limited Budgets," suggests that you print out flyers to advertise these events and post them on local community boards in places like coffee shops, libraries, or local colleges. You can also spread the news about these events on your website or any social media outlets you use.

Why It Is A Great Idea: Not only do you get the opportunity to introduce people to your business, but you can also generate some additional revenue.

11. Don't Be Afraid To Ask For Referrals

Some people are afraid to ask customers for referrals, but the truth is that they're one of the most powerful and cost-effective ways to help grow your business. Of course, in order for this to work you'll have to ensure that your customers have had a positive experience with your company, and building a more personal relationship with them doesn't hurt either. Sbinformation.about.com says that when asking for a referral it's best to explain your long-term plan with the referrals and them provide them with all the information they would need if they were to make one.

Why It Is A Great Idea: They're incredibly cost-efficient but powerful for generating business.

12. Participate In Forums

There are a lot of forums and groups out there on the internet that are wonderful places to start marketing your business. Websites such as Quora, Reddit, LinkedIn and Google+ communities are just a few. These sites and groups usually ask for feedback on certain questions or topics and are a great way to spread your personal knowledge on the subject and mention your business, or link to your website, all at the same time. Blog.hootsuite.com's article "11 Marketing Ideas For Small Businesses" believes that this method can add credibility and trust to your brand because your knowledge shows as you add to the discussion.

Why It Is A Great Idea: They're a simple way to promote your business and create some links to your website at the same time.

13. Create A Unique Business Card

Business cards are still incredibly relevant in business today despite the increased use of technology for marketing purposes. In the article "5 Reasons Business Cards Still Matter" on Entrepreneur.com, they say that business cards are here to stay and shouldn't be expected to be replaced by the digital age anytime soon. They say that business cards still work because they're very personal, direct, and show that you are well prepared. Creative and unique business cards can also give a great first impression and are often shared amongst peers.

Why It Is A Great Idea: Business cards are very cost effective, promote a professional image of your business, and are easily shareable.

14. Invest In Search Engine Optimization

Search engine optimization is one of the best-returning methods of marketing out there. So much of marketing these days is done over the web, but even if you have a website that doesn't necessarily mean that you can expect instant traffic. SEO companies help their clients by helping to optimize their websites for search engines, which improves their rankings and ultimately leads to increased traffic and increased revenue. It's more than just driving traffic to your website, though. Reliablesoft.net suggests that SEO is not only about search engines but that it should also help to increase the overall user experience and usability of a website. Here are some other stats from imforza.com about why SEO is such a great investment:

93% of online experiences start with a search engine

70% of the links search users click on are organic

75% of users never scroll past the first page of search results

If you're interested in investing in some search engine optimization, we'd love to chat with you to see if it's something that would be a great investment for you. Click here to contact us today!

Why It Is A Great Idea: Search is the number 1 driver of traffic to content sites, beating out social media by 300%.

15. Use Social Media

Social media can be a great marketing tool for a company if used correctly. While we don't believe that it's a great tool for everyone, it can certainly be beneficial to anyone whose services and products can be sold to a wide audience. In Contentfac.com's article, "16 Reasons Why Your Business Needs Social Media Marketing" they say that social media can be a great outlet for driving traffic to your website (which helps to boost SEO), can be used as a great tool to connect with other businesses, can help you to respond to customer problems immediately, and helps to build brand loyalty. In a recent survey we conducted, we discovered that 43.4% of small/medium business owners suggest that social media has been the most effective marketing medium for their businesses.

Why It Is A Great Idea: Americans check their social media outlets on average 17 times a day according to digitaltrends.com, so marketing through social media can be a great way to bring attention to your business if done correctly.

16. Make Sure You're Mobile

If you're going to be marketing yourself online you'd better make sure that your website is mobile accessible. More and more people are using their smartphones and tablets to browse the web and this trend is not expected to slow anytime soon. According to the article, "The Top 5 Marketing Tips for 2015," almost 75% of millennials admit to never being without their phones, which means that there's a huge opportunity for businesses to engage in mobile marketing. Also, on mistersearch.co.uk they claim that 95% of smartphone users have searched for local information and 61% of those call a business after searching. We would highly suggest that you ensure that your website and any other digital marketing methods you use are mobile friendly.

Why It Is A Great Idea: According to groovedigitalmarketing.com, a study in 2012 showed that 61% of people were likely to leave a site if it wasn't mobile friendly.

17. Always Get Customer Input

Feedback from your customers is incredibly important in building social trust for your brand. Not only will customer feedback help you to improve on some of the mistakes you're making as a company, but you can also use the positive reviews to help boost your company's reputation. Pardot.com suggests that testimonials can be one of the most persuasive pieces of content on a website when convincing a visitor that they'll have a positive experience if they purchase from you. We would suggest creating a testimonials page on your website to show off all the positive experiences others have had with your business.

Why It Is A Great Idea: Customer feedback helps you to improve your business, and can be used to convince other leads to invest in your business.

18. Speak At Events

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Speaking at an event is a great way to both share your knowledge, promote your business, and build brand awareness. Ducttapemarketing.com suggests it's as simple as keeping an eye open for any local events related to your industry, offering to lend your expertise, and then coming up with a presentation.

Why It Is A Great Idea: A great way to introduce yourself to locals and promote your business to them.

19. Sponsor An Event Or Sports Team

Sponsorships are a great way to give back to the community and provide your business with a great marketing venue. According to Designyourway.net, sponsoring a local sports team can result in fantastic brand exposure such as having your logo placed on the sports team's jerseys, league banners, and maybe even the grounds/arenas that they play in.

Why It Is A Great Idea: It can offer you advertising options but also personalizes your business.

20. Update Your Packaging

Packaging can be a great opportunity to market your company. Creating a unique packaging design can help your company to stand out, but you can also place free products such as stickers and magnets in your packaging. Also, "21 Kick-Ass Offline Marketing Ideas" suggest that if your business doesn't provide products then you can leave behind pens or other freebies with each servicing.

Why It Is A Great Idea: Unique packaging or freebies can help give your business that extra edge over similar companies and will also provide your customers with an avenue to discuss your product with others.

21. Focus On Community Building

No matter what marketing methods you use, you will find a lot of success if you focus on providing a personal touch. In the article, "The 5 Best New Digital Marketing Tools and Techniques," they suggest that there is a need for brands to help consumers feel like they're seen as individuals that are cared for and not just another customer.

Why It Is A Great Idea: Adding personal touches to your business makes you more relatable, which has shown to help increase sales.

22. Consider Pay-Per-Click Advertising

Pay-Per-Click advertising can be incredibly effective if you have the great website to match. Searchengineland.com claims that there are 5 practical reasons why you should invest in PPC advertising. They include that you only pay when an interested person clicks, you can set your budget and control costs, and PPC shows results very quickly. When combined with website optimization PPC advertising can produce some great results.

Why It Is A Great Idea: PPC can provide you with quick results in both traffic and conversions.

23. Start A Podcast

Podcasting can be a great way to invite guests to visit your website and check out your business. To start a podcast all you need to do is figure out some topics that are relevant to your business which you'd like to discuss. Entrepreneur.com suggests that a podcast can help you to become more intimate with your audience and help to build a foundation of trust between you and those who listen in. Convince and Convert also claims that podcast listening has grown 23% from 2015 and 2016.

Podcasting is definitely a great way to grow an audience. You can check out all of Profitworks' podcasts here!

Why It Is A Great Idea: Podcasts are great when combined with content marketing. They give your audience another avenue of media besides text or video.

24. Enter Award Competitions

Award competitions are a great way to build confidence in your brand. If you win the competition you'll be able to advertise it on your website and you'll more than likely have your business advertised on the website of the company giving out the award. Writtent.com would even suggest that if you don't win you can still gather a lot of publicity if you place high enough or are able to broadcast your participation.

Why It Is A Great Idea: Not only can they provide you with rewards or certifications, but it's also free publicity. It's a win-win!

25. Seek Out Certifications

Having certain certifications can help your business to stand out above all of the rest. Not only will it improve your overall ability to provide better service for your customers, but you can advertise these certifications across a number of marketing venues. Simply adding these certification badges to your website can increase confidence in your business.

Why It Is A Great Idea: Certifications are great for improving your company and also convincing your audience that you're professional and highly qualified.

So there you have it! Our list of the 25 best marketing ideas for your marketing plan. If you have any questions about our article or podcast feel free to get in contact with us today!

Profitworks Small Business Services provides email marketing, website traffic, and website conversion optimization services which increase the number of sales generated from a website. The focus of our services is on increasing sales and providing a positive return on investment. To learn more about Profitworks, click here.

Profitworks

Profitworks Small Business Services Inc. a company that provides search engine optimzation and website conversion optimization services which increase the amount of sales generated from a website. Profitworks is a company built on the values of integrity, hard work, doing things better than they have ever been done before and the utmost commitment to our customers. The focus of our all of our services is to provide a positive return on investment to our customers.